Method and machine for sewing rubber.



I. R. GAMMETER.

METHOD AND MACHINE FDR SEWING RUBBER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. 191B. 1 ,284,646. Parente@ Nov. 12, 191s.

2 SHEETS-SHUI l.

l. H. GAMMETER.

METHOD AND MACHWE FOR SEWING RUBBER.

AFPucATmN min FEB. s. :91s,

1 ,284,646. Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHED 2. 5

/NI/N TOR.

A TMR/wy UNITED sTATEs kPATENT oEEIoE.

4JOHN B. GAMMETER, 0F AKRON, 0510, ASSIGNOR T0 THE B. F. GOODRICH Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORKl 0F, NEW YORK, N.

CGMPANY,

HE'I'HOD AND MACHINE FOR SEWING RUBBER.

Application tiled February 2, 1918.

To all whom it may concern: r

Be it known that I, JOHN R. (irAMtnz'ren, ,a citizen of the United States, residing :it Akron, in'the county of Summit and Stute of Ohio, have invented n certain new und useful Method and Machine for Sewing Rubber, of which the'following isn specification.

This invention relates to the art of sewing material containing rubber or allied. gums, and its subject-matter is en improved. mode of forming stitcb-holes in the work.

- Considerable ditiiculty has heretofore been experienced in sewing vulcanized rubber. and particularly shoe soles composed of rubber mixed with ground-up vegetable fiber, because the awl or needle of thc sewing niachine tends to tear the edges o' the hole Which it drives in the sole, and the thread docs not run with ease through the. hoc on account of its friction against the rubber. When the ends of the loops have been worn ofi' from the bottoni of thesemn, the stubs of the thread often tend to pull out of their holes, allowing the sole to separate from the body of the shoe. In order to minimize these difficulties as far as possible it has been necessary to employ a higher grade of rubber and more and better fiber than would be required to give suicient durability to the sole. The high-grade rubber is costly, and the ler e content of fiber introduces ob stafcles in t e working of the material.

y invention has for its object to overcome the difliculties mentioned, und it does` so by mnking use of n heated penetrating instrument whose passage into or through the rubber-containing material softens or partially fuses the latter, producing n. smooth hole of the desired round or other shape, l\xbricntingtl1e thread during the sewing operation and locking it securely in the seam b the subsequent hardening or setting of t e rubber around the thread.

f the accompanying drawin Figure 1 is an elevation, part y in section, showing the main workingparts of :L seW- ing-machine provided withan electricallyheated aWl or penetrating instrument for embodying and carryingout my invention, together with a section of the work being operated on.

Fig. 2 isn. side elevation.

Fi 3 and 4 are sections on the correspon ingly-numbered lines of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Non. Il. MMS. Serial No, 215.961.

l0 represents u. portion of s show-:cle of vulcanized rubber und iibocr mnupositlrsi, und 11 represents the Welt or correspinidmg port of' the shoe to which the solo is, being scwed. 1:3 is the usual sewing'nmcliine a'wi which .fiets in the capacity of a performing instrument und also ns n. woikfetulefr; being* attached to un owl-bnr 13 to which vertical reciprocntimi is imported by nn. oscillating arm 14 :ind horizfvntnll reciprocntion by nnothcr nrm 15. Member muy be termed the coldolwlf lo is the presser-foot.. .Vf is the revolving shuttle carrying tlv: spoot or bobbn 18 for the thrend 15.2 und 5.513* is the verticnllyu'wiprocuting sewing' needle. l is the Wink-supporting trible or 'iu-fi .baring :L sloi 22 for 'the .m;1:-;n;:c of.' ino lwl nifl needle. These parte ure nil ci uw@ l struction und operation.

as u suitable support for the ele: und the liotoiwl or nii-.cdi l my inventionA` which elemcn noted is shorter then 'the y r penetrates muy the i shown substantially in its lowest pos" it 'i in Figf l. lfVbiie the rnnin owl. (or even tho sewing needle) could le heated instead of providing n sopor-.ite iember 24. the en rmigen'lent shown prevents the leather of the. welt 1l from being charred, relieves the hotnwl from :my bendice strain :wd :il-- lows the invention to be rindily @filante-d to existing machines.

The :mis of the 'neuter ff frciif'w-.lvit l clined at an an flo from the vertical ne show u.. and the stem or eitension1 of their-ot needle within said lichter is correspondingly inclined 'to its nctii" portion ill This stein is suitably iilsula'elitns by menus of n mica sleeve or Wrspping carried in the bore of n porcelain hold'er il?. 'the lutter being cured to the owl-bnr 13 by two metal straps or bonds 28. Stein 25 constitu-tes e. resistance element attached otits upper end to un elec tricsl connector 29 und nt its lower ond to e second electrical connector 30. Where the latter asses under the bands 28 it is protected y insulators 31.

`The upper ends of the connectors 29, 30 are provided with tubular bruslrholders or sockets 32, in which are mounted .f1 pair of contact-brushes 33 backed by springs B4.

tact-strips 35 mounted on opposite sides of ioo a vertical insulating bar 36 which is sta- 4tionarily mounted on the frame 37 of the machine, the strips beingy of sultivient width to allow for the horizontal reciprocav tion of the needle/bar without losing Contact with the brushes, and also beingr of sullicient height to allow for the vertical reeiprocatlon of said bar and to reach a convenient upper locality `for eonnertion with the external oirruit. 38, 38 represent', the wires of the extornai eirruit, leading from any suitable rre of current, and 39 is a detachable plug' (annprising a suitable insulatingr body and a pair of contacts Ll() engaging the strips 35. l

ln' operation, the descent ot the awl-bar 13 valises the aw] 12 to penetrate both the solo 'to and the welt 11, and at the saine time the lelertrieally-heated awl or needle 24 penetrates the Soleto or nearly to the welt as indicated in Fig. 1 its high temperature cans ing the rubber at the point of penetration to soften or melt and allow an easy entrance predio-innr a smooth' hole of the shape of said needle. The horizontal feeding motion of the awl-bar takes place` while both members 12 and *24 are in the sole and the presser-foot 16 is retracted, Fig. 1 showing the parts at the eompletion of the feeding movement. The presser-foot. then descends, the awl-bar rises to withdraw both members 12 and Q4 from the sole, the sewing needle 20 rises and passes through the hole left by the awl engages the thread, desoends and pulls down a loop; the shuttle 17 passes through said loop and bhe thread is drawn tight from above in the usual way. thus completing a stiteh. The hot needle 24 is spared from the awt 1:2 a distance equal to the length of one stili-h. and when the awl l2 next descends it enters the hole whirl has been burned or fused in the solo 1t) by said needle, and has onliY to force its way through the welt 11. Thus any tearing of the sole is avoided and whenV the stitch is beingr formed the thread is more-.or less' lubricated by the soft rubber on thel sides of the hole.

and cemento it in place, so that the stubs of the stitehes do not readily pull out when their exposed portions are worn otl on the bottom.

Thilo l have represented a machine of e straightmeedle type, it will be. understood that the invention mayr be used with any suitable form of sole-sewing machine, and the method may be performed luy-hand without aniF machine. l `urtherniore the invention is not'. wholly confined to the employment of an electric euri-ent as the heating medium nor restricted to the several details of embodiment here shown by way of illustration.

l claim:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination This rubber subsequently sets or' hardens around the thread` of stitch-forming mechanism, an awl for fusing holes for the stitches in tho material to be sewed, and means for heating said awl.

2. lna sewing machine, the combination of sttlrforming mechanism, an awl for fusing holes for the stitches in the material to be sewed, and means for electrically heating said awl. f

3. In asewing machine, the oonibii'iation of stitch-forming mechanism, a reciprocatoryr fusing awl and eleetri'al-heating ro-A sistance therefor, a stationary conductor for carrying current to said resistance and means for preserving an electrical connection between said conductor and the resistanee during.,r reoiprooation of the latter.

4. In a sewing` machine, the combination of stitch-fdrmng mechanism, a reciprocating support, a metallic member mounted thereon and having an exposed extremity adapted to penetrate and fuse the material to' be sewed and an electrical resistance portion, insulating.;r material inf-.losing said resistance portion, and means for conduct-innr current` to said resistance portion.

5. In a sewing machine, thi` combination of sewing mechanism, means for fusing holes part way through the work for the passage of the stitches, and means for cold-punching the eontinuations of said holes.

6. In a. sewing-machine, the combination of Sewing mechanism, a reriprocatinp,F support, a Cold-aw] carried thereby, a hot-awl also carried by said support, and means for heating;r said hot-awl.

7. In a sewirig--nulehine, the eonibination of sewing;r mechanism. a reeiprorating support', a oold-awl carried by said support,y a hot-awl also carried thereby and terminatina` short. of the termination of the coldawl4 so as to l'Jenet-rate the work for a less distanre than the latter, and moans for heatimar said liot-awl.

8. ln a sewingunaohine, the combination of a work support formed with a slot. a reoiprooat'ing` oold-aWl adapted to operate through said slot, a rfa-iproeatinir hotawl adapted to operate above said slot, and means for heating' said hot-aw`l.

9. lu a sewing-machine, the combination of sewingr mechanism. a work support` a reriproeatinp,` hot-air] operating over said support for fusing stitch-holes parttray through the work, moans l'or lirat'in; Y said awl. and a` reciprocating cold-awt operating over and through saidsupporl said mhh-.iwi bein; r located in advanre ot thil hot-awl in the direction of feed of the work and adapt.- ed to complete the holes started by the hotawl. l

10. ln a sewing-machine. the` rombination of sendingr mechanism. `au aut support vhaving a longitudinal reriprmating motion and also a lateral motion to feed the work. two awls carried oy said support, the first being shorter than the second and adapteci tofnse part Way through the work, holes which are Completed by the Second awl, and means for heating the first awl.

In a sewing-machine, the combination of sewing mechanism, an awl supporti having a longitudinal recin'ucnting motion, a cold-awl muxjied by :sani support, n h it-awl mounted on said support, adjacent 0 the cold-awl, a` stein for said hot-:LWL located at an angl@ thereto and onstlitnting an electri-y cal resstz'ince, un insulating inclosuI-e for said stem. and means for conducting current to Said stern.

12. In a @Wing-machine, the combination of sewing mechanism, an uw] support having a longitudinal reciprocating motion, a coldawl and :i hot-uw] arricd by said Support, :in electriche-ater also carried. the'eby for heating tl1e-hot-aw1, and means for conducting current to said hotnwl.

n n, sewing-machine, the combination of Sewing mechanism, an awl-snpporb haw ing longitudinal w0rk-penetmting and lateral worlfeeding motions, an awl and an electyrisal :zwi-heater carried-by Said support, :i contact brush also carrie-,rl thereby, and a. stationary Conductor on which saisi brush slides, said conductor having such length and breadth as to maintain constant cnnnectiun with the contact-brush.

4ln tetimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4 day of February, 1918.

JHN R. GAMMETER. 

